Private In the Dark

[Voli Cholrass]

Current Outfit

Voli couldn't help but smirk at Tey's annoyance of the Jedi Librarian's droning about the Force. Voli loved the library but given how dry and dull the librarians were, she'd rather learn the information by herself. "I'm surprised that you didn't just fall asleep." Voli whispered snickering at Tey. "I never liked teachers, their erudite, pedantic, pretentions rambling often act like a live version of ambien."

Judging by how Tey nearly fell asleep, it looked like the two had more in common than what Voli anticipated. Maybe the Force actually bought them together. "And I thought fate was only used for tarot card readings." Voli thought.

"You're not armed," Voli noticed that Tey didn't carry a Lightsaber. None of the younglings nor students who weren't paired with Masters wielded them. Dreidi felt that Voli wasn't ready to wield a Lightsaber but she did allow her to carry her training saber so she practice on her free time. "Don't worry, I got your back just in case......"

She stared at the hatch, a queasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. "You feel that?" Voli whispered. "It feels like in those movies where you climb down and you're surrounded by death. It surrounds you catches you in its claws, you scream, try to escape but it won't let go for death is final. Sooner or later we all have to meet our maker."

The young woman coughed. "Apologies," Voli chuckled. "That was my storytelling voice, I just love to tell stories that's all. I'll go down first and see if everything is clear."

Teynara Jeralyr

 

[Teynara Jeralyr]

| Voli Cholrass |​

The two of them reunited after their brief parting, Teynara couldn't help but be amused by the way Voli spoke of their venerated teachers. She didn't quite share the same opinion as the other girl: yes, lectures could be certainly boring, but in thousands of years, nobody had ever figured out a better way of conveying lots of information at once. Yes, you could read it, but that didn't give substance or experience to the words – it was always impersonal, clinical, abstract and lacking context. She couldn't necessarily blame the teachers for how dry the subject matter was – and, besides, she'd asked for exactly that, hadn't she? Tedious, but it worked.

Approaching the hatch that clearly led to whatever restricted area that Voli was trying to access, Tey felt a slight pit in her stomach, a hollow feeling that made her think that she was either hungry or simply anxious about getting caught. Either way, get a hold of yourself, girl, she thought cooly, especially recognising that this was the sort of thing that Voli had probably done before – and she was still here, so either she'd never been caught, or it wasn't such a big deal.

"I've never fallen asleep on my feet, but that did come close to the mark", she admitted, following Voli over towards the hatch, noticing that they were largely covered from view by the masses of datastacks that constituted most of the Archives. The chances of anyone spotting them were fairly minimal now. "I think it might have been instructive if I had enough background to make sense of any of it, but it's all so new for the moment. It's like unboxing a puzzle and trying to put it all together without knowing what it's supposed to look like," the blonde added calmly, her exasperation clear enough in her tone.

As Voli pointed out, she was certainly unarmed, but that in itself was a solid indicator of her particular stage of training: a lot of the Padawans carried lightsabers of one form or another, but Tey hadn't started her training with the complicated weapon just yet – all of her combat training so far had been in the unarmed varieties, and she suspected most of that was just designed to aid in their physical training regimen, to improve strength, flexibility and focus, rather than because they would need to fight that way. She knew herself to be a little older than Voli, so the disparity in their levels of training felt rather stark to her.

"You're not expecting danger in a Jedi Temple, surely?", she queried, looking slightly perplexed by the idea. If they got caught, they weren't going to be able to fight their way out of trouble, and the entire complex was protected by a dedicated security force made up of Jedi with far better training than they had yet to receive. If Voli had to resort to protecting her...something had surely gone very wrong. "We are in the Archives. The biggest danger we're likely to encounter is boredom, I suspect," she noted with an amused smile.

Still, as they got closer, and as Voli darted through the hatch and started her descent – evidently the vault they were trying to access was below the main Archives – Tey felt something of what the other woman described, her amusement vanishing as quickly as it had arrived. She couldn't really explain the feeling – it both felt like it was drawing them towards it, and at the same time, raising the hairs on the back of her neck, her nerves screaming a warning that danger was ahead. Maybe it is like one of those holo-vids, where the main characters always go somewhere they really shouldn't, not knowing of the danger right around the corner. But...as she'd said, this was a Jedi Temple. There couldn't be anything like that here. So you're imagining it, or letting Voli's paranoia get to you. That had to be it, surely.

"Scream if there's anything to worry about," Teynara remarked sarcastically as Voli moved further down the ladder, and Tey swung her legs over the edge with a view to following her. "That's what they do in the holo-movies, after all!"

 

[Voli Cholrass]

Current Outfit


Voli climbed down the ladder, her boots clacking against the steps. They created a large echos the further Voli descended, she felt a disturbance in the Force. A feeling of uneasiness, dread, and worry. It was if the moment Voli lifted the hatch, her heart was encased by a dark vice with all of her senses begging her to turn back. One of the first things Dreidi Xeraic had taught Voli was to always trust her instincts especially when said instincts were entuned with the Force.

Voli found it surprisingly easy to connect with the Force, taking control of her powers but there was that lingering curiosity that fueled her hunger. She wanted to know more about the Force and all of its aspects. Her research into the Dark Side and the occult had her wondering if she could use them for good. As Voli reached the bottom of the ladder, she looked around the large and expansive underground. "Oh chit....." Voli's purple eyes eagerly scanned the unexplored area of the temple. A blue light shone through the cracks illuminating the area.

"Hey Tey!" Voli shouted a smile forming on her face. "You better come down and look at this!"

Teynara Jeralyr

 

[Teynara Jeralyr]

| Voli Cholrass |​

Hearing Voli's voice floating up from wherever she'd ended up far below them, Teynara winced, hoping that the young woman's call wouldn't echo throughout the Archives. That'd definitely get us caught. Still, there was clearly something down there worth seeing, so she made to follow, her hands gripping at the edge of the ledge left exposed by the removal of the hatch, her boots finding purchase on the ladder that led below. Would now be a good time to mention that I don't like heights? No, just don't think about it. Best thing to do would be to just keep her eyes forward on the rungs of the ladder.

For some reason, and despite the exertions of gripping onto a ladder with white-knuckled concentration, Teynara could feel a definite chill in the air – odd, because the environmental controls within the Temple were always set so to keep the facility warm but comfortable, so that none of the students would be distracted from being too warm or too cold. This made her want to grab a jacket, though, the chill of it against exposed skin making her want to shiver, though she dared not, slowly working her way down the ladder with every intention of not falling – or looking down!

It felt like an eternity before she reached the bottom, and she felt glad to feel the heels of her boots strike against something more solid than the metal rungs, offering a stability that hadn't been there a moment before. She exhaled a shaky breath and let go of the ladder, thankful to be off it, and she took a second to compose herself mentally before turning around so as to locate Voli and have a look at their surroundings.

Her eyes widened a little as she took it all in – clearly their descent had been longer than she'd thought, whatever her private feelings about it taking forever – with the cavernous hall they were standing in being far larger than she would have expected. It's smaller than the Archives, but way bigger than I'd have thought. Why would all this space be here and not be occupied? The Jedi weren't overly fond of wasting space, she'd noticed: there were always little meditation rooms, storage areas or small gardens tucked away wherever there was a little negative space in the Temple, so this just felt...almost like a waste. And why is it so damn cold down here?

"Somehow I don't think this is a storage vault," she said wonderingly, idly wondering if it was possible to have taken a wrong turn on a straight vertical ladder. There were no computers, no technological mechanisms that she could see, no signs or indications of where to go next...just weathered grey stone beneath their feet and extending up the walls, some glowing from the presence of a blue light beneath the floor, others cast in shadow where the light didn't reach. "Are you sure we're in the right place, Voli?"

Teynara had to admit that the feeling of discontent that she'd been having since they started their descent only felt stronger her – though now it was less about getting into trouble and more about having truly stepped into the unknown. Perhaps Voli's concern over not having a lightsaber weren't so paranoid after all, she reflected, though she still couldn't say what exactly it was that made her feel this way. Something's walking on my grave, as mom would call it, she noted to herself, slightly creeped out by the whole idea. Why would a place like this be underneath a serene Jedi Temple?

 

[Voli Cholrass]

Current Outfit


"No, It is a storage vault," Voli said her eyes scanning the vastness of the room. "It's just a lot bigger than I anticipated." She looked up noticing that the hatch cover was still open. As soon as Tey came down, Voli waved her hand using the Force close the hatch, hopefully nobody saw them sneaking in. The last thing Voli needed was an already suspicious Dreidi Xeraic pissed off at her for just trying to unlock something related to her past.

"Even spacious too." Voli took out a holoprojector from her pocket, the image of the Archive basement displayed in front of her Tey. "I got this Holomap from the dark places of the Holonet," Voli smiled. "A droid gave me this though I do owe him a favor. The coordinates to what I'm seeking is about 5 miles from here. So we'll just get in, get the item and get out."

Voli flicked the holoprojector off smiling. "Cheer up Tey," she said. "We may be in Hell, but we still got each other."

Teynara Jeralyr

 

[Teynara Jeralyr]

| Voli Cholrass |​

A lot bigger than anticipated. That was an understatement and a half. Size matters not, though, isn't that how it goes? Whichever genius came up with that one clearly hadn't seen a storage vault that extended so far, to the point that the end wasn't anywhere close to visible – and, by the sounds of it, it'd be quite a walk to get there. Not sure I signed up for a ten mile walk before dinner, but I suppose the exercise couldn't hurt. Just as well that the Jedi Order insisted on everyone wearing sensible footwear: their standard-issue boots would be just fine for a walk of that distance, though Tey could well imagine that their feet would be hurting tomorrow.

Clearly it wasn't just going to be a case of "get in, get out", as Voli had put it. That would suggest that whatever it was they were here for would be just there, absent the long travel time. No matter, it's a little late to back out now. Not that she really wanted to – it was just one of those moments where she wondered what she'd signed up for. You're always supposed to read the small print, but once again, I missed it. As Voli said, at least they had each other for company. She just hoped it would all go as smoothly as her new friend suggested.

That being said...what was this place doing here? She'd not heard that there were tunnels and vaults like this buried beneath the Temple. She'd expected the odd storage room of maybe a few dozen meters across, perhaps a hangar bay where they could store the various spacecraft and starfighters that needed to be kept here in case they were needed. This was well beyond her expectations, though – and despite what Voli said about the distance, Teynara couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this place than just the distance between here and the vault they were looking for. After all, this corridor leads in both directions, and it seems to go on and on both ways. Just what was this place, anyway?

"Guess I can't say that I don't see any interesting places with the Jedi anymore," the young woman noted, her icy-blue eyes taking the time to appraise the vault they were in a little more closely. She could barely even see the ceiling above them due to the shadows that obscured it – it made it feel like they were a lot deeper underground than they actually probably were. As long as we're not out of comm range, just in case... "I really didn't expect to find anything like this down here. Have you been here before?"

Not that it mattered if Voli had – though Tey wouldn't have been surprised. Finding something like this, I'd probably want to keep it to myself, too, a place I could go where I wouldn't be bothered by anyone else, and could just be along with my thoughts. Though that constant feeling of cold expectation did make her feel that it probably wouldn't be ideal for that: she felt on-edge even with Voli with her, as if there was something preying on her mind that she couldn't quite get a hold of, a feeling just out of reach, but impactful just the same. This place was unsettling.

"I just hope this doesn't lead the way to Hell," she added, looking slightly aggrieved at the idea. Tey wasn't one for indulging in mythology or superstition, but everything she'd seen since coming to the Temple told her that there was so much outside the realms of her experience that she couldn't really afford to discount it. "If it does, we're definitely going to be late for dinner." Although she had a feeling they might be anyway – a ten-mile round trip wasn't exactly going to be quick.

"Best get going, don't you think?", the blonde woman added, starting to walk in the direction that Voli had indicated, her skirts rustling softly as she moved. "Force knows what we're going to find down here."

 

[Voli Cholrass]

Current Outfit

"I haven't," Voli replied still in awe on how large the place is. "But the map that the Droid presented me is accurate at least according to him." She had to admit she was placing a lot of trust in a Droid whom she suspected was malfunctioning. Voli did sense some unease in the Droid during their meetup outside of the Temple walls. The Droid sounded terse and was stuttering when describing his adventures through the underground of the archives. It was strange considering that he was a droid after all, but Voli was eager to get the map.

"I admit that I sensed something was off from him," Voli confessed. "Hell, I sense a dark presence around this area but according to the Droid the place is sealed."

Hopefully.

"Come on you wanna make it to dinner on time?" Voli asked beginning to walk. "Then we need to hurry, they're serving Roast Beef with baked Potatoes and gravy tonight and I'll be damned If miss that meal."

The young woman continued to look around the underground, large stone pillars kept the place. "Soo," Voli said trying to ease herself from doubt. "Where are you from Tey?"

Teynara Jeralyr

 

[Teynara Jeralyr]

| Voli Cholrass |​

It wasn't the first time that Teynara had heard a Jedi speak of a "dark presence", but she had to admit that she still didn't quite understand the idea. It was something to do with the Force, she knew that much, but it seemed odd to her to that such a thing might manifest in a way that ultimately creeped out those sensitive to it – although Voli seemed to revel in that, much the same as she did with horror holos and the like. People are always drawn to the macabre, she recalled, and she didn't mind it. Better that than living it, I suppose. She wasn't going to share that thought, though.

The comment about dinner made her laugh, though, lightening her mood from the momentary morbid turn that it had taken. It sounded like Voli was just as much of a food-lover as she was herself, and that was always a plus. She'd never understood people who thought of food as merely fuel, and who ate with little care or enjoyment. That always struck her as slightly inhuman – after all, eating was something that everyone needed to do, and one of the better pleasures that life had to offer. To wave it aside uncaringly...she'd never understand that. Thank goodness that Voli's not that sort of person.

She did her best to keep pace with the younger woman as the two of them strode through the vast halls around them, their footsteps tapping softly against the stone beneath their feet in a rhythmic pattern, dust swirling around them as it was disturbed by their movements. It was clear enough that, despite being a storage area (at least from what Voli had said), this place didn't often get visitors...and that was enough to send a slight chill through her, making Teynara wonder exactly why it was that the Jedi had such a place concealed beneath the Temple and yet never thought to come here. This isn't just a storage area, is it?

"I'm from Lianna originally," she said, responding to Voli's question, thinking it best to keep things light rather than dwelling on her misgivings. "It's not too dissimilar to Coruscant, in that there are a lot of urban areas, one built on another, though there's a little more greenery, and it's a little more...elegant. It was a nice place to grow up – very busy, very full of life." In some respects, Tey found that she was more comfortable here than she'd been on New Cov – even introverted as she was, she always felt more at home with lots of people around her, as long as she wasn't required to interact with them too much. "We don't have anything like this at home, though!"

In retrospect, Tey had to curse herself for returning the focus to their surroundings. It was far nicer to think of the soaring spires and gentle curves of the buildings at home, rather than to this dusty, forbidding vault, so far beneath the open sky that the latter felt like only a distant memory. Being down here felt rather like being buried alive in a vast mausoleum: all that surrounded them was endless stone, fixed and immutable, softened only slightly by the blue light that seemed to come from nowhere at all, brightening the walls even as it deepened the shadows around them.

"You don't strike me as coming from a place like that, though," Teynara observed, her eyes flickering over to the other Padawan, staring at her appraisingly for a moment. "My head says that you're from somewhere that does have places like this – maybe the sort of world with deep jungles and lots of ancient historical ruins, the sort you could explore in your free time as you liked." It would certainly explain why Voli hadn't hesitated to come down here – and indeed, would have done so whether Tey was with her or not – so she probably had spent plenty of time exploring in places that everyone else would think twice about. "Given what you've said your childhood was like...I'd take a guess and say that would be the sort of thing to give you a freedom you otherwise struggled to find."

 

[Voli Cholrass]

Current Outfit

As they walked through the maze-like underground, Voli could sense multiple disturbances in the Force. She wondered if she made a mistake coming here. Considering that Voli snuck into the restricted area and dragged a completely innocent person with her, the answer was metaphorically staring at her in the face. She just hoped that she can get Darth Traya's book and get out as quickly as possible.

"Lianna?" Voli inquired. "Isn't your planet taken over The Empire of the Lost? I've heard a lot about them. They're Imperials with a mask off approach to genocide. From what I've read, they've been ravaging the Tion Cluster capturing the people, and mining their planet's resources."

It was part of the reason why Voli decided to become a Jedi. To actually have an impact on the Galaxy. She'd read countless articles of atrocities committed by Sith, the Mandalorians, the Imperials, to even people within the Galactic Alliance. Voli had powers, she wanted to use them to fight back, to make a difference. She just needed to know the right know how.

"My parents adopted me when I was a baby," Voli responded. "I lived most of my life Coruscant feeling like I was an outsider living in a glass tower filled with the rich and powerful. It was hard for me to fit in when I felt so different, It wasn't just that I liked bugs, scary movies, telling campfire stories, and investigating the supernatural."

Voli closed her eyes. "I've had this feeling inside of me," she said. "A power that was clawing to be free. It turned out that power was the Force." She looked down at her hands, as a small purple flame formed in her palm of her hand. She quickly clasped it hoping that Tey didn't see. "It wasn't just the Force," Voli thought. "It was also Magick."

Teynara Jeralyr

 

[Teynara Jeralyr]

| Voli Cholrass |​

Truth be told, Voli's question caught Teynara off-guard there. She'd never much cared for politics, and system alignments and allegiances changed at the drop of a hat so much that she didn't really know who was in charge and what their ideologies were. By and large, that was the concern of the wealthy and the elite – for the average person, life wasn't going to change much regardless of who was in charge. They still had to work for their bread, try to keep a home for their families, and do their best to stay out of trouble, to build something for themselves. That was enough to consume a lifetime – who gave any thought to loftier goals, aside from those who aspired to them?

In truth, Tey had to acknowledge her ignorance as a gaping hole that probably needed to be filled at some point – although her teachers hadn't asserted as much, a Jedi's duty often forced them to deal with politics, and those responsible for them. She didn't particularly like that idea, but it was something she'd have to confront eventually. Still...Empire of the Lost? That doesn't sound like a good thing. She hadn't heard anything about them from her parents – they weren't politically-minded, either, but maybe it would be better to ask them about it next time she wrote home. All she knew is that, if you stuck to the rules, nobody would bother you – and wasn't that supposed to be how it always worked?

"I haven't heard anything along those lines, but I never really kept up-to-date with the news," Teynara observed softly, recognising this as a significant shortcoming in hindsight. "The people in charge are just there, and I've never much cared what they believed, as long as we got left alone to live our lives," the young woman added, again worrying that this made her sound absurdly ignorant. "Although if that's the sort of government presiding over home...maybe it's just as well that I left."

Of course, she hadn't gone to escape anything: she'd gone towards the Jedi, and hadn't really looked back since, beyond the weekly messages exchanged with her family. That was the way it was supposed to be: looking forward rather than backwards, focusing on what was right in front of her. Somehow she had a feeling that she'd missed something important in doing so, though – she was a little surprised that Voli had provoked that, but of course, the young woman had no realisation that she had, or any intention of bothering her.

Voli's experiences of coming to the Jedi were clearly very different, that much was apparent – Tey had never felt what the other girl had, this notion that there was something inside her wanting to get out. Maybe she's just much more gifted with the Force than I am. That wouldn't have come as a surprise to her – for the moment, a rock had more of a talent for the Force than she did, though the Jedi who had inducted her into the Order had made it clear that the potential existed. Wouldn't be here otherwise, of course. But that was all theoretical to her – an abstract that had yet to be realised in truth.

"Did it help, when you found someone who could help you learn about that power?", she asked, curiously, knowing that she had no real basis for comparison. "You're not an outsider here, after all, because we can all touch the Force," the blonde added, although she suspected Voli didn't feel that way in truth – particularly given how suspicious she had seemed when they first met, as if just waiting for ridicule or intolerance for being different. Besides, I can only engage with the Force theoretically, so we're not so different in terms of feeling alone in a crowd. "Did you find it made you feel better, to know that about yourself?"

 

[Voli Cholrass]

Current Outfit

"I mean it's not like they had a choice in the matter," Voli responded in regard to the people of New Alderaan. "I've heard the Emperor of the Empire of the Lost is a total nutcase. Like nuttier than the villains you see in the Holocartoons."

People like the Emperor was someone that Voli hoped to apprehend someday. Though she was almost certain that Master Dreidi Xeraic will chew her out on how she would do it. Yeah, Jedi don't hurt people unless necessary, but that Emperor had made people's lives so miserable. Voli would definitely punch that dumbass Emperor in the face for sure before using the Force to ragdoll him. "My Master so far is a good person," Voli said. "From the lessons she made me go through, it's been difficult and I have a lot to learn. There's so much of being Jedi that the Holonet didn't tell me."

She sighed. "Sometimes I feel that I'm failing her, I just wanted to show off you know? I wanted my Master to know that I've been learning about the Force in my own way. I knew history of wars between the Jedi and the Sith and..... even the Dark Side but she cautioned me that it's dangerous and I do believe her."

Voli gulped. "But at the same time I feel...... like I'm welcomed by the Dark Side, it's weird maybe the more I train the more I feel that the dark isn't bad at all."

She closed her eyes. "But maybe I'm just looking at it all wrong." Voli said. "I still don't know who I am, but I don't want to fail my Master."

Teynara Jeralyr

 

[Teynara Jeralyr]

| Voli Cholrass |​

So much that the Holonet didn't tell you. No kidding. Teynara had been finding much the same: that the stories and legends didn't get anywhere close to the reality: they showed all the astonishing powers displayed, the tragedies averted, the battles fought…but they didn't speak of what the Jedi had to sacrifice to get to that point, nor the remarkable amount of training required to be able to achieve even a small proportion of the competency required for those actions in the field. It shows all the action and danger, but knows little of the philosophy, the complexity, or the sweat and tears. In truth, she was old enough to know better than to listen to the Holonet…but this is where they'd both ended up nonetheless.

She could empathise with Voli's feelings about not wanting to let people down, although the young woman got the deeper feeling that Voli's real fear was letting herself down, that she wouldn't live up to what she believed her potential to be, and that she might ultimately fall short of the standards that she held herself to. Something we all fear, as the brash confidence of youth fades into maturity, or so she thought. Tey was used to living with the same insecurity – though she suspected part of that came from having supportive parents, people that she'd have done anything to avoid disappointing. Perhaps Voli's Master is a substitute parent in that respect, taking their place in her affections.

Though, in truth, it didn't sound like Voli's childhood had been much of a picnic, so perhaps her Jedi training was necessary to make up for that. Provided she doesn't suffer more of the same setbacks now as she did then.

"Maybe your worries about the dark are just because you haven't seen the dangers for yourself," she remarked softly, whilst inwardly acknowledging that she only had a little understanding of what Voli meant in that respect. She knew that Jedi felt the Force as a tangible element – something she couldn't yet claim to have experienced directly – so, for them, that darkness was very real. "It's like listening to your parents telling you about how fire was dangerous…but you don't believe it until you put your hand in it and get burned."

Of course, she didn't imagine Voli was that naïve – it was clear enough that she knew she was probably playing with fire, and wasn't staying away from it because she wanted to, but rather because she'd been cautioned to do so by someone who had more experience in dealing with it. She'll just have to decide whether she's willing to take the risk, and knowing my luck, I'll be right there beside her when she does. At least, that was the idea – she wasn't about to let a friend walk into trouble without being there to brave it with her. Wasn't that what they were doing now, after all?

Teynara paused for a moment, her footsteps coming to a halt, resting gently against the solid stone beneath their feet, wanting to both give her legs a rest, but also to take a moment to examine where they were. They still hadn't reached what could be said to be the end of the vault – indeed, it did rather feel like it went on forever – but still, there was something about it that gave her the creeps. She wished for a moment that she'd worn warmer robes, something with more of a thermal lining, because the cold that seeped in through the vast cavern felt cutting in a way she hadn't expected.

"My parents used to say that fear was just a way of letting you know that you had to step with caution," the blonde added, turning to her new friend with an appraising expression, checking to see if she was okay. "You're not necessarily supposed to stay away from the flame, but you're also not supposed to throw yourself into it. It'll keep you warm if you let it, but it can also burn you up."

[/div}

 

[Voli Cholrass]

Current Outfit

Voli could sense that Tey was getting tired, she looked back seeing her new friend leaning against the wall. Voli was surprised to see how far they were from the ladder leaning to the hatch to their current location. Good company does make time fly fast. “Not used to traveling long distances?” Voli smiled leaning against the wall next to Tey. “Don’t worry I’m on that same boat, gym class was always the bane of my academic career. I couldn’t finish the half mile run without huffing and puffing.”

She was glad that she wasn’t looking for the Sith artifact alone. It felt good to have someone like Tey around. It made Voli feel guilty to drag her into her personal affairs. Voli knew that exploring this area was dangerous and Tey had no means to defend herself. In fact, Voli wasn’t sure if Tey was capable of defending herself since she knew as much as a youngling.

“Fear can be used as a weapon as well,” Voli countered her eyebrows knitted together to a frown. She sensed a disturbance in the force. Something was lingering around them, Voli couldn’t make out who. Her slim fingers brushed against her training saber and her purple eyes darted around for any search for danger. “Especially to protect others, if you don’t want to kill, you can intimidate them into submission. Fear is like any other emotion, it’s irrarional and can be used to your advantage.”

It wasn’t what her Master taught her, but Voli felt that the things she learned outside the jedi temple can be used for the greater good. “Truth is, we as initiates and Padawans have been taught that fear leads to the dark side.” Voli said sliding closer to Tey. “But I don’t fear the darkness, in fact I want to embrace it. I want to use the dark side for good.”

Volis face then reddened before she pushed herself from the wall. “I should stop talking,” Voli mumbled. “You’ll think I’m evil for thinking that.”

Teynara Jeralyr

 

[Teynara Jeralyr]

| Voli Cholrass |
​

Fear can be used as a weapon. Hmm...that was certainly true as she understood it (though warfare wasn't one of Teynara's particular areas of interests), but it rather sounded like the sort of approach taken by those who couldn't persuade another of their point of view without resorting to intimidation or even violence – none of which sounded like Voli to her. Still, she was right that it could be used to avoid the use of force, too: if you could persuade someone that you intended them harm even when you didn't, they might leave you alone. The problem comes when they call your bluff, I expect.

Tey flinched slightly as she saw that Voli was reaching for the weapon at her belt, but quickly realised that it wasn't intended to be used against her – and that the other Padawan hadn't drawn the weapon yet. What is it you fear now, Voli? Insofar as she could tell, the two of them weren't in any danger. Yes, it was creepy down here, and colder than she'd have liked, but Teynara didn't think either of them were at risk – after all, there was nothing down here. She'd not heard or seen anything that had made her think otherwise.

"Isn't that what people tell themselves to justify any action, though? I only meant to do something good!" Tey didn't doubt that Voli did intend want to be a good person – that much was evident in most of her body language, and the manner in which she was trying to persuade Teynara of her benevolence. Or more like she's trying to convince herself that something she knows is wrong could be used for the right reasons. "It's like lying to cover for somebody: you're doing the wrong thing, but you think it's okay because you're protecting someone else." She still wasn't sure if that was ever the moral thing to do, though. No doubt they'd cover that in class sometime.

"I don't think you're evil, though, Voli," she murmured softly, offering a reassuring smile to her new friend, even though something didn't feel quite right down here, and Tey was starting to recognise that the cold chill that had been resonating within her wasn't being caused by the temperature, but something else. "Evil's when you set out to hurt people for your own purposes, and I don't think that's you."

The young woman couldn't put her finger on it...but something here wasn't right. It wasn't Voli – the sense of it wasn't coming from her, but from around them. It was like a soft dread that ran through her, unnameable, but there, like the time when your parents said they wanted to talk, and you walked around feeling like you were in trouble for something you didn't realise you'd done. It was a deep pit in your stomach, an anxiety you couldn't quite identify...but there all the same. And why am I feeling like that? I don't have any justification for it. It was very confusing.

"Fear's irrational...but do you feel a sense of that now?", she asked softly, moving away from the wall and moving a little closer to Voli, as if to seek comfort in closer proximity. "Maybe we're about to get caught?"

 

[Voli Cholrass]

Current Outfit

A smile formed on Voli's face when Tey said that she didn't think Voli was evil. For a long time, she was afraid that if she told people of her..... interests people would shun her more than already were. Her Master's aversion to anything relating to the Dark Side only served to isolate Voli more yet Tey accepting of Voli made her heart swell with joy. It was good to have a friend who didn't judge you for what you liked.

"I appreciate you saying that Tey," Voli said slowly placing her hand on her shoulder. "You have no idea how much that means to me."

The disturbance in the Force became stronger, Voli's eyebrows creased into a frown, her fingers which were already touch the hilt of her training saber already began to wrap around it. Voli unclipped her training saber standing in front of her. "I sense it too," Voli said. "It's not a Jedi Master."

It was something more..... ancient and elusive, Voli could hear footsteps clacking against the floor causing an echo throughout the chamber. "Find a place to hide Tey." Voli whispered. "I'll take care of whoever that is."

Voli had more training than Tey at least enough to decently defend herself. The footsteps became louder though it was hard to hear because of Voli's beating heart. "Stay calm," Voli mumbled. "Remember what Master taught you."

Teynara Jeralyr

 

[Teynara Jeralyr]

| Voli Cholrass |​

Find a place to hide? Where? She couldn't exactly summon up a box to hide under, or duck into some darkened cupboard: the vault was all high stone walls and open pits on either side. And I am not going into one of those!, she thought with clear resolution, knowing that it probably wouldn't be any safer than just staying where she was and facing up to, well, whatever it was that was coming for them. She felt fearful of that, true enough, but Voli's experience in dealing with dangerous situations clearly outstripped her own, and she had a feeling that the other girl would be able to handle it. Or at least, she certainly thinks so!

She wasn't sure how Voli knew that it wasn't a Jedi Master coming to reprimand them for being somewhere they shouldn't be – maybe that was that damn Force thing again? Or maybe she's just used to being told off by the Masters, so she knows how that one feels. Teynara hadn't really experienced that just yet – and she was hoping not to! But even so...if it wasn't that...what was coming for them? And what was their intent?

Still, it didn't do to argue with Voli – particularly given that the other woman was armed, and she most certainly wasn't - so Teynara ducked back a little behind her, allowing the other Padawan to stand in front and in the direction of their destination. Of course, if whatever's tracking us is coming from behind us, then I'm right in its path. That was always a cheerful thought: she was either going to be the bait, or the one being shielded. She wasn't particularly certain that she cared much for either possibility.

"Just be careful, Voli. Bad enough that we're down here – I don't want to have to explain your death to the Masters!", she noted with a faint smile, doing her best to push aside the possibility that that might actually happen. Though, let's face it: if Voli's dead, I probably won't be too far behind. That would certainly save her an uncomfortable conversation with their teachers, but she felt that was cold comfort. "Are you starting to regret this yet?"

For the most part, Teynara wasn't sure that she regretted it at all – she was just hoping that this wouldn't now change.

 

[Voli Cholrass]

Current Outfit

"Stay calm."

All Voli could hear was the hum of her training Lightsaber, her pale hands tightening around the hilt. Voli could feel rapid thumps hit her chest as beads of sweat formed on her brow. "Stay calm."

The clacking of metal against stone became louder as Voli closed her purple eyes trying to give herself into the Force. "You must trust in the Force and understand that the Force will warn you of oncoming danger." The words of her Master Dreidi Xeraic were etched in her brain. Voli had a hard time feeling the Force, her fight or flight response was overwhelming her. Cutting her off to the connection of the Force. "Trust in the Force," Voli whispered to herself as the shadow next to the corner of the room grew large.

Voli closed her eyes shut listening to her rhythmic breathing everything went silent and the anxiety that was plaguing Voli dissipated. She felt a the Force flowing through her as if she were a gentle stream. She could sense everything now, the ground, Teynara Jeralyr , and even the thing that appeared before her.

"An ancient battle droid?!" Voli remarked, the Droid raised it's blaster rifle and fired at Voli who immediately deflected the bolt. "Get down Tey!" Voli shouted.